Page 35 – Ottawa Mommy Club

5 Romantic Things to Do at Disney World

Travel

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January 30, 2020

With all the things to see and do at Walt Disney World, it can be a challenge for couples to remember to plan time for romance. Although each couple’s interest varies, here are suggestions for romantic things to do at Disney World.

Romantic Things to Do at Walt Disney World — Photo credit: Disney

5 Romantic Things to Do at Disney World

With its romantic resorts and the signature restaurants that offer fine dining for adults, Walt Disney World can be as much a vacation destination for loving couples as it is for families.

1. Romantic Disney World Resorts

For many couples, setting the right tone of a romantic getaway begins with accommodations. Luckily, all Disney’s accommodations are amenable to romance. All have quiet buildings and areas away from the buzz of post-park touring activity. All are carefully landscaped, with pathways to encourage romantic walks and conversation. Some of the most romantic Disney World resorts, however, are found at the deluxe and moderate levels.

Disney Deluxe Resorts:

Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Polynesian Resort
Wilderness Lodge & Villas
Yacht & Beach Club

Disney Moderate Resorts:

Caribbean Beach Resort
Port Orleans French Quarter

These resorts feature particularly lush grounds, more intimate settings, relaxing pool areas, and room service. The deluxe accommodations also offer a variety of amenities particularly appealing for romantic trips: hot tubs, concierge-level rooms and suites, and stunning views of the parks.

2. Disney Dining for Adults

Many Walt Disney World restaurants are family friendly, featuring good food and a lively atmosphere. Couples who desire a quieter, more adult evening amenable to conversation and romance might choose to splurge on signature Disney World dining at these resorts:

Jiko- The Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge
California Grill at the Contemporary
Cítricos, Narcoossee’s, and Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian

In addition to fine dining with leisurely meals set in elegantly themed decor, these signature restaurants are located in resorts with scenic pathways for a post-meal stroll and lounges that encourage drinks and extended conversation.

For those guests who want to enjoy romantic meals at the theme parks, an interlude in a touring day, the following restaurants are particularly atmospheric:

Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table (dinner)
Epcot: Coral Reef (Future World), San Angel Inn (Mexico), Rose & Crown Pub (United Kingdom), Monsieur Paul (France)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: The Hollywood Brown Derby

3. Fireworks at Magic Kingdom and at Epcot

The Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks are a visual spectacle enjoyable for all ages. As part of a romantic evening, try viewing them from the Polynesian Resorts beach or at California Grill’s restaurant or lounge, located at the top of the Contemporary Resort. Inside the Magic Kingdom, a less crowded area for viewing is near the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant.

One of Epcot’s highlights is the nighttime fireworks show which closes the park at 9:00 p.m. The show can be seen anywhere around the World Showcase Lagoon and prime viewing locations fill early. Locations in Italy, Germany, or on the second-floor of Japan’s Mitsukoshi, may offer a somewhat less-crowded, more intimate experience.

Fireworks at Magic Kingdom

Another way to enjoy the fireworks is to indulge in a leisurely dinner at World Showcase, then stay to view the show from the restaurant. The United Kingdom’s Rose & Crown and France’s Chefs de France are two good choices. Preferred dining times to catch the show start approximately 1 hour before the show and reservations for these restaurants need to be booked far in advance.

4. Disney World’s Romantic Views and Walk

Beyond its fireworks and nighttime shows, Walt Disney World offers many scenic views that inspire romance. In addition to touring the above resorts, couples might:

Ride the ferry to the Magic Kingdom or take resort boats to the parks.
Watch the sunset and, depending on the location, park fireworks from one’s Disney resort.
Stroll the pathway between the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian.
Walk the Boardwalk or the pathway between Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

5. Romantic Gifts and Disney Flowers

Surprising a loved with thoughtful gifts is another way to infuse a vacation with romance. Many Orlando-area businesses create and deliver floral arrangements and gift baskets to the resorts for that special someone, including Disney Floral and Gifts.

As these tips suggest, romance can be found even in a trip to the family-friendly Walt Disney World. At heart, the key to a romantic Disney getaway is making each other’s company the focus of the vacation.

How to Prepare for Winter Power Outages in the City

Home and Garden

Lyne Proulx

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January 29, 2020

1

Winter is the season of blizzards and ice storms, which can cut off transportation and electricity over a wide area. Rural folks are pretty used to it and usually have generators and wood stoves on tap. It’s a bit harder for city people to go without power for an extended period, but it’s not impossible. Plan ahead, and be prepared for power outages in the city this winter.

Tips to Prepare for Winter Power Outages

72 hours

In the city, you should always be prepared to fend for yourself for at least three days before the emergency crews can restore your electricity during power outages. That means heat, food, prescriptions, and maybe water and gas.

Heat

Heat’s the first concern during power outages. You don’t want the inside of your home to drop to outside temperatures! That leads to huge repair bills, if you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky, it can cost you your life.

So you’ll need to save as much of the heat in your place as you can. You’re probably starting at somewhere around 20 degrees Celsius, and it’s only going to go down from there. You’ve got to start conserving heat immediately.

You can improvise a bit of make-do weatherstripping with things at hand. Roll up a spare blanket and stick it against the bottom crack in the door. Tack up another blanket so that it hangs over the whole door. Close your window curtains and shove blankets against them as well. You’ll be amazed at how much warmer that’s going to make your whole place.

In the daytime when you’re doing things, put on a sweater and a coat. When it’s nighttime and time to hunker down, put on an extra sweater, get under a warm comforter, and cuddle together with your family. It’s a great time for a good old-fashioned family talk!

It’s a good idea to have a secondary source of heat, but you’ll need to be extra careful with it. Keep it away from anything that can burn. If it’s kerosene or another open flame heater, you’ll have to crack a window whenever you’re using it. Otherwise dangerous carbon monoxide can quickly build up to lethal levels. Even if you have a carbon monoxide detector, it won’t work during a winter power outage if it’s on house current.

Oil and natural gas

If you’ve got an oil or natural gas furnace, you’re probably doing OK for heat. It’s always a good idea to keep your oil tank topped up in winter, just in case.

However, the fan which circulates that heat is probably electric. You’ll not lose heat exactly, but it’s not going to get to most parts of the house. Even so, it’s probably still enough to keep your house well above freezing.

If you’ve got a natural gas stove and there’s no reason to think that natural gas pipes have been compromised, start cooking! Winter power outages are a great time to make slow-cooked soups and stews. They’ll keep you warm while they’re cooking, and they’ll make you even warmer when you eat them!

It’s a good thing that it takes a lot to compromise a natural gas line! But if you smell natural gas or if there’s any other reason to suspect that natural gas lines have been broken, shut down your furnace and don’t make any flames or sparks. As you’ve read in the previous section, there’s other ways to stay warm.

Food

Set an immediate ban on opening the fridge or freezer doors. If you keep them shut, your refrigerator and freezer should be able to hang onto enough cold air to make it through about the first day without power without any real food spoilage, unless there’s already something in the fridge that’s on the brink.

The news on your battery-powered radio will tell you how long the blackout’s likely to last in your area. This is one good reason why you need one. Cell phones will only last so long before needing to be recharged!

If the winter power outage is going to be longer than just a few hours, you’ve got to use refrigerated food up quickly, or you’ll have to throw it out later. That’s the other reason it’s a great idea to throw as much as you can into a large pot of stew.

If you’ve got a large turkey or roast in the freezer and you have a balcony or back porch, you can save it if it’s freezing cold outside. Just cover it well and place it on a table outside, or hang it up if you’ve got a back porch where wildlife can get to it. The same goes for all those frozen veggies. Let the cold outside air do your work for you!

Cans don’t spoil in a week, but if the power goes out, you could run into a completely different problem. Make sure you’ve got a manual can opener on hand!

Prescriptions

Don’t let your prescription medications go down to the last pill during winter weather! If you’re on daily medications, you’ve got to plan ahead here. You’ll need at least three days worth of medications, but it’s better to plan for a full week or two. After all, the pharmacies may not be able to bounce back instantly, especially if supply routes aren’t plowed out yet.

Water

City water plants depend on electricity. Some won’t pump at all when the power goes off. Some just won’t be able to purify water properly without power, so you’ll be on reservoir water for awhile.

If you’re in a high apartment above the third floor, you’ll definitely lose your water if the power goes out. That’s because water has to be pumped up there electrically, and most high-rises don’t have generators strong enough to power anything except emergency lighting.

So if you live in a place where you could lose power during power outage, it’s a really good idea to have a few water jugs at hand. You’re going to need about two litres of water per person (and an extra litre per pet) per day, maybe a little more if you’ll be cooking. Forget about showering for awhile!

Oh yes, the toilet. You’ve got one or maybe two good flushes from the toilet tank water. Make them count.

Car Gas

Just about all gas stations these days have electronic pumps, and they can’t pump out gas at all when there’s no power.

If you’ve got a generator, you’ll definitely want to keep a few litres of gas on hand if there’s a winter storm in the forecast. Even if you don’t, your car’s going to need some sooner or later. Keep the car’s gas tank topped up in winter.

When the power outage is over, everyone’s going to try to fill up at once. The gas station’s going to run out, and refills could be slow in coming. So plan for a couple of extra days, and take it easy on the car gas until things get back to normal. It’s not like you’ll be needing to commute to work until the lights and computers come back on.

Planning ahead of a Winter Power Outage

Fall’s the best time to plan ahead for winter. A well-insulated house can easily hang onto enough heat to make life bearable for all three days, even if things aren’t exactly toasty. You’ll still need a sweater, and you’ll probably need a coat as well after a day or so.

An emergency winter safety kit for your home is your key to taking winter power outages in stride. Think about the same five things when you plan. That’s heat, food, prescriptions, and maybe water and gas. Add a battery-powered radio (with extra batteries), so you’ll know what’s going on in the world outside. Don’t forget to throw in something for entertainment!

9 Best Weight Loss Tips

Wellness

Lyne Proulx

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January 27, 2020

6

For many of us, weight loss is a never-ending roller coaster of losing weight, regaining it back, making healthy choices, and then falling off the wagon again. The problem is that most of us failed to either meet that goal, or keep it off for any significant period of time. All too often, we find ourselves losing weight and then slowly regaining it all back as we lose our resolve. Luckily, there are some tried and true strategies out there that if you employ them, along with a sensible eating plan, will help you lose weight and keep it off.

Best Weight Loss Tips

1. Exercise

Exercise is the number one way to help you get the weight off and keep it off. 80% of the U.S. population who attempted to lose weight in 2004 decided to keep it simple, watched what they ate, and exercised at home, but only 20% of them felt that they were very or extremely successful. Studies have shown that regular exercise in a gym setting was the most efficient and effective way to incorporate exercise into a weight loss program.

2. Keep a diary

You know that journaling will help you keep track of what you eat and stick to your plan, which is why Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and all the others promote it. But did you know that journaling also helps you stay focused on your goals? Did you know that you can also pinpoint triggers that cause you to overeat so that you can correct them? Writing everything down helps you visualize what you’re eating, how much, and why.

3. Drink water

Your body is made up of 90% water and we are not doing enough to keep that in balance. When your cells are deprived of water, they shut down, slow your metabolism, and prevent you from losing weight. Water is necessary to your weight loss initiative, but also to your overall health. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

4. Get plenty of rest

In a study in Canada, 323 men and 417 women were polled about their sleeping habits. One staggering statistic stood out. Those men and women who got 7-8 hours of sleep per night were significantly leaner than those who got less. Leptin, a hormone that controls hunger is reduced in people who get more sleep than those who opt to skimp. Long story short, get more sleep to help your weight loss.

5. Diet with a friend

Having someone motivate and support you while you diet is paramount for keeping you accountable, not only to yourself, but to your partner.

6. Create a sustainable eating plan and stick to it

The hardest part of dieting is the eating, or lack thereof. Be realistic when you create an eating plan and include foods you enjoy and remove foods you don’t. The more tailored your eating plan is to your personal preferences; the more likely you are to stick to it which will help with weight loss.

7. Stay away from fad, crash, and celebrity endorsed diets

These types of diets are designed to sell books and plans, not to help you lose weight. Keep in mind that most celebs, doctors, etc. can afford to hire nutritionists, personal trainers, etc. who design a plan specifically for them. Rarely do they follow the diets they are hawking.

8. Stay away from Diet Supplements

Unless you are taking a quality multivitamin, which you should take whether you are dieting or not, you should not take diet pills. These include appetite suppressants, fat burners, metabolism kick starts, energy drinks, etc. All of these supplements will undermine your attempt at dieting and a healthy lifestyle. The only exception is if your doctor prescribes a medication for weight loss and you are under his or her expert care for the entire duration of its use.

9. Eat your vegetables

Vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals your body needs and provides them in a neat, low calorie, low fat format. If you feel the need to snack, grab a carrot, or celery stalk instead of a cupcake.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Healthy eating is a never ending journey and you will fall off the wagon from time to time. Just don’t forget to get back on.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge -Food and Beverages

Travel

Lyne Proulx

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January 24, 2020

6

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Food and Beverages

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge officially opened on August 29th, 2019! Disney World’s Hollywood Studios welcomed Star Wars fans to the biggest single themed land in any Disney parks with 14 acres. Although many are excited to ride the Millennium Falcon and Rise of the Resistance, some of us (me!) are all about the food and beverages that are served up!

The planet Batuu is the basis for the new land, specifically Batuu’s capital, Black Spire Outpost. The land features an eatery and cantina, as well as snack stands and a market. Let’s check out the lunch and dinner menu items!

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo’s name is a mouthful, pun intended. This quick service galactic grubhub is “housed in a working hangar bay”. Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs has traveled across the galaxy collecting ‘exotic’ ingredients that he uses to create unusual dishes.

Cookie has docked his food shuttle, think of it as a space version of a food truck, on the hangar bay’s roof and pods of delicious ingredients are lowered into the hangar below.

Here is the menu offerings:

The first is the Smoked Kaadu Ribs! It’s country pork ribs with a one of a kind blueberry corn muffin and red cabbage slaw.

The Felucian Garden Spread is a plant-based kefta (meatball) dish. Yobshrimp Noodle Salad is marinated noodles with chilled shrimp and shredded veggies.

Batuuan Beef Pot Roast offers cavatelli pasta topped with beef pot roast, mushrooms, and kale. The Fired Endorian Fried Chicken Tip Yip is a chicken dish with roasted vegetable mash and herb gravy. There is also a Roasted Endorian Chicken Salad, mixed greens, roasted vegetables, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa topped with green curry ranch dressing.

Seafood options include Surabat Shrimp & Noodle Salad with chilled shrimp, marinated noodles, and vegetables.

Desserts of Chocolate Cake called Batuu-bon with coffee custard and white chocolate mousse, as well as Oi-Oi Puff, a raspberry cream puff, and passion fruit mousse are on the menu.

Wash it all down with bright coloured, non-alcoholic drink called the Moof Juice. This fruity drink consists of Simply Fruit Punch®, Simply Orange® with Pineapple, and Chipotle-Pineapple. Alcoholic beverages are also available: Takodana Quencher, Gold Squadron Lager – Blue Point Brewing Co., and Surly Sarlacc.

Oga’s Cantina

Next up at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is Oga’s Cantina, a place for smugglers and bounty hunters, rogue traders, and travellers to drink and be merry. This watering hole, that is run by Oga Garra, features the sounds of DJ R-3X and serves both alcoholic beverages, including beer, cider, and wine, and non-alcoholic, themed mocktails as well as snacks. My favourite alcohol beverages are the Bespin Fizz, the Jedi Mind Trick, and the Toniray!

Alcoholic Beverages

Dagobah Slug Slinger
T-16 Skyhopper
Jet Juice
Yub Nub- rum punch
Bespin Fizz- featuring dry ice for a smoky effect
Fuzzy Tauntaun- think fuzzy navel
Jedi Mind trick- a drink that starts and finishes in different ways,
Outer Rim- black salt margarita
Toniray- teal and bubbly wine
White Wampa Ale – Ballast Point Brewing Co.
Gamorrean Ale – New Belgium Brewing Co.
Bad Motivator IPA – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Gold Squadron Lager – Blue Point Brewing Co.
Spice Runner Hard Cider – Angry Orchard Cider Co.
White Wampa Ale – Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Black Spire Brew- cold brew coffee
Jabba Juice
Carbon Freeze
Cliff Dweller
Blurrgfire
Hyperdrive (Punch It!)
Blue Bantha- blue milk milkshake served with cookie

Snacks

Batuu Bits and Happabore Sampler!

Ronto Roasters at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Find the Ronto Roasters at the Black Spire Outpost marketplace at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Meat is roasted on spits in this open air eatery. Bakkar owns and runs it with droid 8D-J8.

Food and beverage selections include:

Galma Snack Sampler in Droid Bucket
Endorian Chicken Wrap
Nuna Turkey Jerky – Spicy
Ronto Wrap
Galma Snack Sampler
Nuna Turkey Jerky – Sweet
Tatooine Sunset – Non-Alcoholic Specialty Beverage
Coruscant Cooler – Alcoholic Beverage
Surly Sarlacc – Alcoholic Beverage
Trandoshan Ale – Concrete Beach Brewery – Alcoholic Beverage

Milk Stand

There are also a Galaxy’s Edge Milk Stand headed by Bubo Wamba. You’ll find the famous blue milk as well as green milk.

Kat Saka’s Kettle at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Kat Saka’s Kettle serves up a sweet and salty red and purple popcorn mix called Outpost mix. Stop by and grab a snack and a beverage called Bottled Orb Soda, an assortment of Coca-Cola® beverages.

With these tasty cuisine offerings from all around Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you’re sure to find something your tastebuds will go crazy for!

How To Choose A Protein Shake

Wellness

Lyne Proulx

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January 23, 2020

1

Trying to find the perfect protein shake can be challenging. There are different brands, flavours, protein sources, and reasons for drinking them in the first place. Are you trying to lose weight? Build muscle mass? Gain weight? Or looking for a good meal replacement? Exploring the four basic types of protein sources (whey, casein, soy, and egg), will help you decide How To Choose A Protein Shake! You can even make your own protein shakes!

How To Choose A Protein Shake

Whey Proteins

Whey is widely considered to be the ultimate protein source. According to Merriam-Webster.com, it is derived from milk in the cheese-making process. Whey is a complete protein, which means that it provides your body with all of the amino acids necessary to build and maintain muscle mass. It is also the most efficiently digested, which is an advantage when your muscles need to refuel after an intense workout. Scientific research has shown that whey proteins may even be beneficial to your immune system. Whey protein shakes are a good choice for nearly everyone. Dieters should choose a powder that is high in protein and low in fat and calories. Athletes and body builders should choose a shake that is high in protein and carbohydrates.

Casein

Casein is another protein found in milk, and is the primary protein in cheese, as per Merriam-Webster.com. It is a much more slowly digested protein, which aids in creating an unfavourable environment for muscle breakdown. Casein protein shakes are a good choice for someone looking for a weight gainer, as they are generally higher in fat and calories. Due to this, it can also be a good choice as a meal replacement.

Soy Proteins

Soy is a plant-based protein (made from soy beans) that is low in fat and cholesterol. Protein shakes made with soy lack animal products and therefore are perfect for someone lactose intolerant or vegetarian/vegan. In the fitness world, soy is generally considered to be an inferior protein source. It is not as readily digested or absorbed as compared to the other protein sources. There is a lot of conflicting information available on the benefits and disadvantages of soy, including the effects of plant estrogens on your body.

Albumen (Egg Proteins)

Albumen, or egg white powder, is considered to be another high quality protein source. It is easily digested, and nearly devoid of fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and dairy products. Egg white proteins are an ideal choice for a protein shake if you are trying to lose weight or are a vegetarian. They are also a good choice for meal replacement as albumen helps to keep you feel satiated for a longer period of time.

Blended Protein Sources

Another alternative is to purchase a protein shake with mixed protein sources. Most often these tend to be made from milk proteins, which are a combination of casein and whey. Eggs is also a common ingredient. The benefit of blended powders is that they combine a quickly absorbed protein source with another that will be more slowly digested over several hours. A disadvantage is that they tend to be more costly.

After having considered the different protein sources you should now be able to make an informed choice. Each protein is unique and offers a variety of advantages and disadvantages. After identifying what your goals are, you should be well on your way to choosing the perfect protein shake for your needs.

Family Traditions on Valentine’s Day

Family

Lyne Proulx

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January 21, 2020

3

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the love of a family and also to share family traditions. Share treats, movies, games, and more on this special holiday.

Making Family Traditions By Baking

One of our family traditions on Valentine’s Day is to bake some delicious sweet treats or savoury dinner! What would Valentine’s Day be without baked goodies? Bake special cupcakes, cookies, and cakes in heart shaped pans, molds, and baking cups. For cupcakes, line them with festive liners and picks. You can find them at the dollar store or at Michael’s. For heart-shaped cookies of various sizes, use child-friendly cookie cutters. Bake splendid heart-shaped cookies with heart shaped mold. Then, ice your baked goods with pink, white, or brown frosting.

Valentine’s Day Games

More ways to make many family traditions on Valentine’s Day is to play fun games such as ‘What I Like About You’ and ‘Wrapping A Present”!

“What I Like About You” is a warm-fuzzies game. “Give each person a stack of paper and a pencil. Call out the name of one of your family members….and ask everyone to write down something you love (or like) about that person. Fold in half, and throw the papers into a hat. Continue passing the hat around and take turns pulling out a paper and reading what is on it aloud.”

“Wrapping a Present” This is another game for the whole family. Divide into teams of two players. Each two-player team will need a roll of pink toilet paper. Reuse a large red bow from Christmas to finish the winning team’s “present”. “This is a variation of the popular Halloween party game, but instead of wrapping a mummy, the kids are wrapping a present for Valentine’s Day! Give each team a roll of pink toilet paper, and on your signal, wraps the other up. The team that finishes first gets to put a big bow on their present!” Preserve all the fun on video or in snapshots with a digital camera. Then make a YouTube video set to a romantic, fun song like “The Love Bug”.

Valentine’s Day Movies

You will definitely make family traditions by watching fun Valentine’s Day movies. These are 3 of our favourite movies:

“Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” It’s time once again to enjoy the Peanuts Gang Valentine’s Day celebration. Enjoy the antics of Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcy, and of course, good ole Charlie Brown. Symapthize with Charlie Brown’s failed attempts to win that little red-haired girl’s heart. There are three short animated specials in this collection.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Valentine Collection” (2012) This adorable animated collection is 82 minutes of cartoon fun for the whole family. Episodes include “A Chipmunk Valentine”, “Dr.Simon and Mr.Heart- Throb”, “Dear Diary”, “Theodore & Juliet”, and “I Wish I Could Speak French”.

“Lady and the Tramp” Valentine’s Day goes to the dogs in this classic cartoon romance between a refined pet dog named Lady, and the stray but suave terrier, Tramp.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day as a family is a fun way for everyone to show their family how much they care. Make loving memories with your kids to last a lifetime on this very special day.

What are you family traditions on Valentine’s Day? Comment below!

Tips for Driving Safely In Winter

Home and Garden

Lyne Proulx

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January 20, 2020

1

Why does it seem as though some peoples driving skills are so much more advanced when it comes to driving safely in inclement conditions? Well, it could be a number of things.

Driving Safely In Winter Condition — Snow drifting on the road.

Safety winter driving tips

Here are a few of the most important tips for driving safely when trying to travel in snow, ice, rain, or sleet this winter.

Relaxation

First and foremost is relaxation. One should always try to maintain a relaxed state and not be anxious when driving safely in the snow. Most accidents that occur in bad weather are often caused by the insecurities of the driver, not just the road conditions. This prevents you from making irrational decisions when you don’t have much time to react. Feeling relaxed while behind the wheel can get you out of the worst of circumstances due to unsafe or unsure driving conditions.

Driving Safely in the Snow

Driving safely in the snow starts before you even get in the drivers seat. Find out the local weather conditions before you hit the road. This will give you a good idea on local traffic, how much snow you will actually have to deal with, if the snow is accumulative or not, and how long you should give yourself to reach your destination safely.

The air in your tires should be checked on a regular basis as this has an enormous effect on how your car will handle when stopping, taking off from a stop, and turning. Make sure you always have a spare shovel handy. If you happen to slide into a ditch, it is easier to dig yourself out. Always have an ice scraper with you at all times while driving safely in winter conditions.

Poor visibility causes poor drivability. Make sure you have more than enough gas just in case your car has to be idle in cold, winter conditions. This will allow you to run the heater as needed. As for driving, well, let’s get started. Always try to drive at or below the posted speed. It takes longer to stop, and turns are much more dangerous. Do not follow too close to the driver in front of you.

While driving safely in the snow, leave yourself enough room to stop in time in case of an emergency situation. Remember, it is extremely hard to spot ice patches, so just assume the worst. Just assume there can always be an ice patch right underneath your tires. If you happen to go into a skid due to snow or ice, stay calm, and turn into the spin. Do not slam on the brakes as this will cause you to spin out of control (depending on what speed you are going), and will be harder to realign yourself with the road, or come to a safe stop. Simply steer into the turn, and lightly pump the breaks.

Driving Safely in the Rain

The rain is a much easier element to drive safely in with most cases. Make sure to always check your windshield wipers are secured properly, and has a safe amount of rubber left on the blade itself. The wiper blade is the first defense against rainy conditions. Next, check to make sure your tire pressure is where it should be. The PSI is always listed on the tire itself. Last, but not least, make sure to drive the speed limit especially when roads are wet and slippery. Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the other one ahead of you.

And always, always, always, wear your safety belt, and never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

4 Best Places For Sightseeing In Florida

Travel

Lyne Proulx

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January 17, 2020

1

Florida is a great place to relax on the beach, soak in the sun, and visit some of the most beloved characters at Disney, but it is also a historical gem polished with captivating culture. You will find below the 4 Best Places For Sightseeing In Florida!

4 Best Places For Sightseeing In Florida

1. Fort Clinch State Park

Fort Clinch State Park, located in Fernandina Beach, is a step back in time to the Civil War era. On the first Saturday of each month, reenactors bring the fort to life with a living history event that is sure to please even those that used to think history class was simply an hour to catch up on sleep.

Volunteers are cloaked in period dress and are eager to share their knowledge of weaponry with the opportunity to hold a carbine rifle, witness military drills, and see shots fired by military commanders. Behold as the skilled craftsmanship of a blacksmith shows how nails were made. Don’t miss out on the most entertaining of all, the medical practices! Fort Clinch offers camping, night tours of the fort, biking and jogging trails, and scenic photo opportunities. One of the best historical parks for sightseeing in Florida!

2. The Old Florida Museum

The Old Florida Museum in Palm Coast is located in the Florida Agricultural Museum. This museum is another great place to soak up some history in Florida. The opportunity to dig as an archaeologist brings to life the differences of artifacts and ecofacts. Members in period dress demonstrate Timucuan rituals, and lifestyle, in hands on fashion. Try to dig out a canoe by hand or get a tribal tattoo to show your Timucuan status. Learn about black history, pioneers, and Spanish settlements in Florida as well. Be sure to visit the gift shop which offers an abundance of various collectibles. One of the best historical museum for sightseeing in Florida!

3. The Pirate and Treasure Museum

The Pirate and Treasure Museum is a newer site on the sightseeing list of adventures in Florida. Transported from Key West, this museum has found its home in St. Augustine. The museum is decked out in state of the art hands-on learning experiences. See movie memorabilia, touch a buried treasure chest, and use your skills to navigate the interactive touch screen computers to go on a treasure hunt for knowledge. View beautiful pearls and gold coins and fire a canon. This place truly is fun for the whole family. One of the best family museums for sightseeing in Florida!

4. Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth

Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth is sure to bring out the younger side of anyone. Watch as a conquistador fires a cannon and peacocks stroll through the park. The planetarium offers an informative exhibition about European exploration and a knowledgeable staff is glad to discuss the archaeology of the area. Make sure you don’t leave without a sip from the legendary fountain. One of the best adventure parks for sightseeing in Florida!

When visiting these 4 Best Places For Sightseeing In Florida, you will certainly make one or all of these part of your adventure, along with beach fun and relaxing in the sun of course!

How to Make your Own Protein Powder

Wellness

Lyne Proulx

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January 16, 2020

3

A quick look at the supermarket shelves in the dietary supplements aisle can leave you feeling confused- even possibly overwhelmed with the number of choices you have. If you’re out to buy some protein powder, you don’t just have to make a decision about which one to choose from the near hundreds of options available, but also shell out a good amount for the same. Why not make your own protein powder instead that’s not just super easy to make but also helps you save up that extra cash? See below how you can make your own protein powder!

How to Make your Own Protein Powder

Dried Oats

Dried oats are a great choice to use as a protein powder! They act as a natural thickener. And since they are whole grains, they also pack in a lot of fiber, which is great for your digestive system. In fact, researchers have found that oats can help you feel full for a longer time!

Dry Milk Powder

Dry milk powder is another great option you could pick. You could mix it with others on this list too! Just ⅓ cup of milk powder could give you 8 g of protein and a ton of other nutrients for just 80 calories!

Dried Chickpeas

Dried chickpeas and even split peas can work wonderfully as an option. All you need to do is add them to your blender or coffee grinder and grind them well, and you’re pretty much sorted!

One thing to remember when you’re using beans as a protein powder is to always used cooked and dried beans. Uncooked beans tend to contain a toxin, which when consumed, can leave you feeling sick.

Dried Egg Powder

Looking to add some extra nutritional punch to your protein powder? Add some dried egg powder into it and take it up a notch. You can easily find this one at a local health store!

The Add-Ons to your Protein Powder

Apart from experimenting with these protein powder options and combining them, you can also consider sneaking in some of these powder packed add-ons that help add flavor and taste, and also a healthy punch to your protein drinks.

Powdered chocolate
Vanilla
Ground nuts
Wheat germ oil
Spirulina
Matcha tea

It is always a good idea to make your own protein powder in modest batches, since some of the ingredients may decay if they are not stored properly. Also consider leaving it unflavoured for the most part, so that you can add it to your soups and gravies too to thicken them and give them a healthier twist. Once you are done whipping up your batch of protein powder, transfer it to an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator.

For more information, you can also check out our blog post on How To Choose A Protein Shake!

How To Avoid Catching A Cold And Flu

Wellness

Lyne Proulx

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January 13, 2020

1

Winter illnesses seem to be inevitable but there are a number of simple steps which will help you diminish the chances of catching the dreaded cold and flu.

With viruses spreading like wildfire this winter, take time out to follow these top tips to make sure you protect yourself. It may mean the difference between feeling slightly under the weather and being really ill.

To download the free printable, click on the picture below!

How To Avoid Catching A Winter Cold And Flu — Cold and Flu Checklist Printable

How To Avoid Catching A Cold And Flu

1. Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands at least ten times a day. It may sound obsessive, but it will greatly decrease your chances of catching the cold, flu, bugs, and viruses. Key times when you should wash your hands include before and after you go to the toilet, after you shake hands or touch other people, after you touch work equipment (computers and phones), and before you prepare food.

2. Use Anti-Bacterial Handwash

Keep some anti-bacterial handwash in your handbag or pocket. It is brilliant if you can’t get to wash your hands and it will kill most bacteria.

3. Boost Immune System To Beat The Cold and Flu

Taking extra vitamin C and multi-vitamins can offer the body a much needed boost for the cold and flu, which will make you much better equipped for fighting infection. Many people use Echinacea in herbal medicine to keep your immune system health working well.

4. Eat Well

Eat three times a day and avoid too much alcohol and junk food. Hearty soups and stews can do a lot for your immune system. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially oranges, are a must. Also drink plenty of water. Sometimes you can flush the cold and flu out of your system quickly if you drink more water.

5. Sleep Well

Avoid burning the candle at both ends. Resting is your body’s way of rejuvenating. When you are overtired, you will find it more difficult to fight the viruses or infection if you are unfortunate enough to catch the cold and flu.

6. Get The Flu Shot

The flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu. According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, everyone should be vaccinated for the flu, but here are the groups of people who get effected by the cold and flu:

Healthy children between six months to five years-old
Healthy pregnant women at any stage during their pregnancy
Individuals 65 years of age and older
Children and adults with chronic medical conditions.

7. De-stress

Make sure you do something nice for yourself every day, even if it is just taking a hot bath, watching your favourite TV show, or eating something nice. Having a little treat will help you feel good about yourself and help you relax, which is essential if you have to put your energy into zapping viruses.

8. Hibernate from the Cold or Flu

Of course, it is pretty difficult not to interact with the outside world, but if there is a flu epidemic and you don’t have to go out, then stay in and get cozy. It may sound anti-social, but if you don’t come into contact with people, then you are less likely to catch a cold or flu.

9. And if the worst happens?

Stay warm, drink water, take hot lemon drinks and painkillers, and sit it out. Try not to go to work. No one minds a work colleague having time off if they are genuinely poorly sick. If you go in when you really have a cold or flu, you will probably spread it round your office, and there is a possibility that you may hinder your recovery if you drag yourself into work before you are ready!

What are your tips to avoid catching the cold or flu? Comment below!

Best Beaches In Florida For Families

Travel

Lyne Proulx

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January 10, 2020

7

You want to take your family on a vacation to a beach; however, you have no idea as to how to plan your vacation on a budget. With these simple tips, you will be able to efficiently plan your beach family vacation with the money you have to spend and be able to visit one of the best beaches in Florida.

Florida offers some of the best beaches in the U.S. Hollywood Beach, Sanibel Island, and St. Petersburg Beach are fun for families, in and out of the water. Almost 81 million visitors traveled to Florida last year, according to VISIT FLORIDA Research. Most go for the year-round tropical weather and sandy beaches. Among its 1,800 miles of sand beaches are three top destinations for families traveling to the Sunshine State. Hollywood Beach, Sanibel Island and St. Petersburg offer the best vacation options for families.

Hotel Discounts

If you plan to stay in a hotel, check with that hotel and see if they offer a discount. Many hotels will offer specials or package deals to entice you to stay with them. Some hotels will offer a cash discount if you pay your entire bill with cash. Other hotels will offer discounts if you stay with them for a certain period of time, like, for instance, seven nights, or if you stay with them during a particular time of year. Beach areas, such as Myrtle Beach, have less people visit during the winter months because the water is not as warm as the summer so they tend to offer good discounts during the winter months.

Take Food

Once you find the hotel where you wish to stay, see if you can get a room that has at least a refrigerator and microwave, if not a full kitchen. You can save money by bringing your own food or going to a grocery store once you arrive. Fix at least breakfast and lunch in the room and only eat out for dinner.

Off Peak Times

During the peak season from mid June to mid August, hotel rates can be at least $20 or more a night than at other times of the year so if you can go to your destination at off-peak times. Sometimes this is hard to do if you have children who are in school, but if you don’t, going on the off-peak times will obviously save you money on a hotel room.

Free or Cheap Activities

Before you leave on your trip, do some research online for free or cheap activities. See if your destination has a web site and what kinds of activities you can find to do. Many places will have things to do for free or cheap activities like miniature golf. You could even see if there are places to visit close by that perhaps are historical sites, which are usually free or rather inexpensive things to do.

Coupons

While you are researching for free or cheap activities, look for coupons online that you can print out at home before you leave. You might even find discount tickets for attractions online as well. For instance, Ripley’s Aquarium might offer a $2 discount for adults and $1 discount for children if you order your tickets online. Once you arrive, look in your hotel lobby for coupon books offering discounts for various places. Many of the more tourist areas such as Myrtle Beach or Daytona Beach have coupon booklets with coupons for restaurants and attractions.

Best Beaches In Florida For Families

You will find below our top 3 Best Beaches In Florida For Families!

1. Visit Hollywood Beach Florida for an Active Vacation

Hollywood Beach recently went through a significant renovation. Its unique environment offers a boardwalk filled with restaurants and retail stores. Families can ride bike, rollerblade or simply walk along its 2-mile boardwalk.

The grounds also offer a park with sprinklers for kids and adjacent tennis courts and paddle ball available for adults. This award-winning beach in Florida received a “top ten nostalgic promenades” designation by USA Today.

2. Travel to Pristine Sanibel Island Beach for the Best Shell Collecting

Kids love collecting shells on the beach, and there is no better place than Sanibel Island to do so. Families come from all over the world to collect these beautiful shells. Many approach this beach in Florida with bags and buckets to collect their treasures. The peak of shelling season is May to September, which also offers the warmest waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Travel during that time period for best results.

Although Sanibel offers the best shell collecting of any beach in Florida, it also offers bike, boat, kayak, and canoe rentals. In addition, nearby tennis and golf courses are within minutes of the beach.

3. Visit St. Petersburg Beach Near Busch Gardens and Adventure Island

The St. Petersburg beach area is home to over 15 beaches featuring the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Among the most popular of the beaches are John’s Pass, Pass-a-Grille, and, Treasure Island. John’s Pass offers a boardwalk with over 6 restaurants and 40 shops. It also offers parasailing and jet ski rentals. This popular destination receives the most visitors of all of Pinellas County.

The sheer number of beach locales along with its proximity to adjacent theme parks makes this an ideal beach in Florida for families. The St. Petersburg Beach area is a short drive from attractions such as Busch Gardens and Adventure Island.

Busch Gardens offers fast-paced roller coasters along with animal exhibits that kids will love. While, Adventure Island, a water park with wave pools and various water slides provides fun entertainment while cooling off from the hot Florida sun.

A beach vacation in Florida provides entertainment options ranging from shell collecting, parasailing, to a simple walk on the boardwalk. Hollywood Beach, Sanibel Island and St. Petersburg Beach are 3 of the Best Beaches In Florida For Families and offer the best vacation options ideal too!

8 Natural Ways To Beat The Winter Blues

Wellness

Lyne Proulx

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January 8, 2020

7

The shorter days of winter often bring on the winter blues. With cold weather, lack of light, and the let down of the holiday season, there is a chance that even the most cheerful people can get a little down. So lets take a look at some natural ways to beat those winter blues!

8 Natural Ways To Beat The Winter Blues

1. Sing

Sing loud and strong! It really doesn’t matter what you sing or if it is on key! It is the way the lungs take in air and the great things that does for the body when you are singing from the diaphragm. If it is only in the shower once a day it is still helpful!

2. Read

Reading is an excellent way to escape for a few minutes. So pick a favorite genre and give the mind a break from reality. It is an excellent option to beat those winter blues!

3. Try some remedies

The whole concept behind homeopathic medication is that they come from natural sources like plants and animals. There are many choices to try.

4. Take a vacation

Winter is great time to just slip away somewhere toasty and sunny. Even three days on a bright and warm beach can have a profound effect on mood and beat those winter blues.

5. Eat lots of fresh food

In the winter season, it is especially worth it to buy organic. It is fresh and good for you. A good balanced diet helps the mind and body ward off depression.

6. Exercise

It does not really matter what kind of exercise you choose to do, just get some movement every day for at least 20 minutes. Walking, jogging, dancing, skiing, scrubbing floors; it all has the same affect on the chemicals that the brain produces to boost “happy hormones”.

7. Be a social butterfly

For whatever reason, when the blues set in, most tend to seclude themselves from the outside. The truth is they should do just the opposite. Go out and get social. Turn every day chores into social events. At the market smile, purposefully, at everyone who passes. It is amazing what effect that can have on everyone involved. Those with a more sarcastic nature may enjoy it because it makes people wonder what they are up to. It is a proven fact that the simple act of smiling, even if we don’t mean it, improves our mood.

8. Throw a pity party

It is amazing what a pity party among friends can accomplish. Decorate with black balloons. Suggest everyone come with their saddest story. Have some great food, with some nutrition hidden inside, and celebrate the fact that we are all in a bad mood. Really? What is the point of suffering alone?

The most important tip is all of these suggestions may be to reach out before the blues settle into something more serious, like a major depression event.

Yearly Events at Disney You Don’t Want to Miss

Travel

Lyne Proulx

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January 7, 2020

4

Yearly Events at Disney You Don’t Want to Miss

If you love to attend any Disney parks, you may already know that there are some events that take place annually and it’s a lot of fun for guests who return again and again to attend their favourite events. Wether you live close to a Disney park, or just have the opportunity to travel there, consider some of these yearly events! If you’re attending for the first time, you may want to choose when you go based on the events that your family wants to see the most.

Here are some annual events at Disney parks:

Christmas around Disney

Disney goes all out for Christmas at all of its parks, so this is a great time of year to visit. Magic Kingdom has Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party complete with fireworks and parades. There’s Disney’s Yuletide Fantasy at WDW. The Festival of the Holidays At Epcot combines the best of what we love about Epcot Festivals and the joyful spirit of Christmas celebration. The Disney Festival of Holidays is held at Disney California Adventure Park.

Epcot® International Festival of the Arts

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is a Celebration of Art, Entertainment, and Food that runs from mid January to the third week of February.

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is an annual event abloom with brilliant gardens, fresh flavours, rockin’ entertainment, and more! It occurs every year from March to June!

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival showcases the world’s finest food, wine, and entertainment every year around late August to mid November.

The Pirates League

Magic Kingdom lets you join Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew for some pirate fun! Check in for a pirate transformation that can include a hairstyle, facial effect, and other special treasures. It usually happens year round!

Halloween Happenings

Varies based on the location, but usually from mid August to November 1st. There’s the Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party at Disneyland, and at Disney World, the Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party.

Spring Training

ESPN Wide World of Sports has annual Spring Training events for High Schools and Colleges.

Run Disney

The Walt Disney World Marathon is an annual marathon and weekend race series held every January in Orlando. The WDW Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend is held each November.

These are some of the most popular annual events happening at WDW and Disneyland parks. If you have the chance to attend during one of these events, you really don’t want to miss them! It’s an experience you and your family will always remember!

4 Parenting New Year’s Resolutions

Family

Lyne Proulx

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January 6, 2020

8

It’s a new year, so why not get started on making some positive changes in your parenting? Whether you usually make parenting new year’s resolutions or not, setting an intention at the beginning of the year can help you generate ideas for improving your skills as a parent. Even if you don’t achieve a specific goal within the year, thinking about what changes you would like to make and how you could achieve those parenting goals can help direct you towards a new way of doing things. Here are some ideas for New Year’s resolutions to yet you going!

4 Parenting New Year’s Resolutions

Four New Year resolutions for parents worth keeping this year include using judgment carefully, sharing activities, reading together more, and practicing patience as the important steps to positive parenting.

1. Be Careful When Judging Children

Words that describe a child’s overall character, such as good, bad, smart, or naughty act as labels that your child internalizes over time. It may not seem like a problem for a child to internalize a label such as good or smart, but she will quickly understand that when she fails to live up to that label the opposite label of bad or dumb will naturally apply.

Such wide-reaching labels can be permanent, causing your child to think that she is only worth your love when being good. A better parenting approach is to save your judgments for your child’s behaviour, and to clearly specify what it is about the behaviour that you are describing. “I saw you sharing your toys with Max, it looked like he was very happy when you shared with him” helps a child more in the long run than: “You’re a good girl for sharing.”

new year's resolutions images — 4 Parenting New Year’s Resolutions

Participating in physical activity together with children helps to get both of you off the couch and away from computer or television screens, and it can be a fun way to spend time together and get to know your child. By actively participating in soccer, swimming, cycling, or hiking with your child, you also gain an opportunity to help your child develop physical skills in a safe and non-competitive environment. If your child loves sports, competitive soccer or hockey might be a good choice for them, but most kids simply want to have fun playing together.

3. Read Together More

Reading to children has many benefits, including the development of language awareness and vocabulary, increasing creativity and imagination, increasing attention span, and providing time for closeness and quiet attention between an adult and a child.

Reading together can also provide many opportune “parenting moments” such as when you can teach your child about characters in a story that find themselves in trouble. Try talking about what a character might do or how they got into a specific situation to open a discussion about behaviour choices with children, or make up new endings to familiar stories to encourage fun and creativity. Reading with children is also a relatively easy resolution to implement – just take an extra 10 minutes during the bedtime routine to read another story together.

4. Practice Patience

Becoming more patient as a parent is one of the best New Year’s resolutions, but that can be hard to stick with, especially at first. Yelling and being inflexible can often be symptoms of other problems, such as too much stress or problems at work, so look closely at your own lifestyle and see if you can make changes to your workload or expectations to help you be more patient.

Another way to become more patient with children is to determine whether a problematic behaviour is normal for a child’s age group. Defiance and tantrums are upsetting for parents, but when you can accept that they are normal behaviours for a two-year-old it’s easier to be understanding and patient while teaching your child a better way to deal with their feelings.

If you find you’ve broken your resolutions by the end of January, don’t beat yourself up over it. Practicing more positive parenting skills takes time and compassion, so focus on doing fun things together with your children instead of worrying about whether or not you’re meeting your new year’s resolutions. Positive changes take time, and one of the best times to make a fresh start is at the start of a new year.

This Year, I Will…Goal Setting Printable

Family

Lyne Proulx

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January 3, 2020

5

The new year is here!! Where did the year go? Sometimes, it really DOES seem like time flies! That being said, why not start thinking about goal setting for this year? It’s never too early to start.

This Year, I Will…Goal Setting Printable

This goal setting printable is my holiday gift to you. Honestly, once you get started with it, I hope you decide to branch out and add more goals to the list. You’ll be happy to learn that printables like this one really do help with your thought process.

You don’t have to be the only one in your household who takes advantage of the worksheet. Print out as many copies as you need and give one to each family member. It’s the perfect way to help everyone stay on track and plan for the not-so-distant future.

Even better, shoot for a specific time to fill out the sheet together. Whether you do it on a Saturday afternoon or one night after dinner, it’s a productive family activity that allows everyone to interact with each other.

Once the worksheet is complete, keep it somewhere in sight… maybe on the refrigerator, taped to the bathroom mirror, or in the very front of your planner. This way, it’s super easy to remember your answers and work harder to reach your goals.

My suggestion to you is to set reasonable goals that you honestly think you’ll be able to achieve. Setting hard-to-reach goals only brings on disappointment when you realize you can’t accomplish them after all.

Look at this year as a fresh start! If last year was great, hopefully it will be even better this year! If last year wasn’t your year, stay positive and optimistic about the good things ahead.

Every day is a new day, giving you the opportunity to learn new things, get active, read a good book, build new relationships, get rid of bad habits, and so much more. Just take it one day the time, relax and enjoy all that comes with it!

What are your goals for this year?

To download the This Year, I Will…Goal Setting Printable, simply click here:

How To Keep A New Year’s Resolution

Family

Lyne Proulx

-

January 2, 2020

17

How To Keep A New Year’s Resolution

Make this year the year for a successful New Year’s resolution! A little front-work and planning will keep one motivated all year. Everyone has seen the ‘January gym phenomenon’, when memberships rise and people seem to appear from hibernation; only to see it return to normal crowd by mid-February.

Statistics vary, but only about 64% of adults that make a New Year’s resolution continue with it beyond the first month and 97% fail before the years end; however, armed with a little drive and willingness to plan – anyone can ensure a successful change for the better. First, set a goal, then plan it, and then “make it automatic”!

1. How to Set a Goal for the New Year

Mostly everyone has read or heard advice on setting goals. Generally, they are advised to start small with easy goals and to work up to ‘real’ goals. A more valuable approach is to approach a goal initially like a dream. Keith Ferrazzi wrote in his book “Who’s Got Your Back”, “The only difference between a dream and a goal, is that a goal is put into writing.” Having a great desire to achieve a goal will provide the conviction to see it through. This alone makes dreaming first invaluable and provides a huge advantage for the goal setter by setting a goal they truly want to achieve. First dream, then proceed to make that dream a task – a specific, measurable, and attainable goal.

The number one New Year’s resolution is to ‘workout more,’ closely followed by ‘eating better.’ While these are terrific goals – they lack any specifics and allow for several scapegoats. Define a dream specifically before making it a goal. Perhaps one may want to workout more, but more specifically they want to lose 25 lbs by walking three times a week for 20 minutes. Now the dream is a goal. It is now a specific, measurable, and attainable task.

2. Set a Goal Timeline

The number one reasons that a New Year’s resolution fail are time, priority, and accountability. Setting a timeline for a goal, tracking it, and making it accountable will guarantee a follow-through. Since the goal is specific, you can easily set a timeline detailing measurable progress over:

one month
three months
nine months
one year

This system of check-ins for goal progress should be scheduled on a calendar, PDA, or planner. Now suddenly the goal is scheduled with a sense of expectation, priority, and accountability.

3. Make it Automatic

To avert one from losing track of their goal due to time constraints (or other excuses), they should ‘make it automatic’. This can be more easily achieved with some goals than others. For example, the goal of saving $100 a month for a vacation can be done by opening a savings account and having the money automatically debited from an existing checking account once a month automatically.

For the more challenging goals, making it automatic may take some initiative; perhaps thinking outside the box for ways to assure a goal’s success. One of the best ways for many is to simply schedule time for that goal. Back to the example working out more; by scheduling three walks a week in a calendar – the goal is turned into an event. Suddenly, the goal just became a priority. Setting a goal as a task or event to be done that day and making it not any more flexible than anything else on one’s agenda can have terrific results.

Regardless of the method used, it is important to find a way to ‘make it automatic.’ There are only three steps to successfully keeping a New Year’s resolution – each as important as the next.

Show Up As Yourself

Wellness

Julie

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January 1, 2020

8

Years go by and what happens? Well, one thing’s for sure…gravity takes over. It shows up in your body, face and mindset. Have you ever noticed that as some women age, they seem to care less and less about what others will say or think about them? Maybe you’re one of them? They understand and realize that what THEY think about THEM–is none of their business. How liberating is that – to not get caught up in the opinions which others have about you? Show up as yourself!

Show Up As Yourself

Life truly begins when you finally choose to be you. Staying true to yourself and not making excuses to please others is actually invigorating and empowering.

For those of you who have lost your fire, here is how to rekindle it!

Showing up as yourself can often times seem selfish.

Selfishness can often be thrown as an accusation at the woman who decides to unapologetically be herself. Unfortunately, some people fail to see that there is a difference between being selfish and self-love.

Self-love is necessary for you if you want to show up as your best self for your loved ones, your career and your life projects. It’s about loving yourself enough to give yourself permission to be first in line to receive loving care and attention you so well deserve.

How will you show up as being…selfish ?

It took me years to figure out that in order to express my true self, I had to stop saying yes, when I really meant to say no; that I had to treat myself as my very own BFF; that it’s OK if people are not happy with my decisions, because I am not on this Earth to please everyone.

What I’m inviting you to do is to try to practice self-FULL-ness–the opposite of selfishness. As an Intuitive Life Strategist, it is my dharma to help you find your unique self and live it fully and unapologetically!!

When was the last time you allowed yourself to be YOU?

Can you remember a time when you didn’t judge yourself? Relocate the part of you that is young and willing to be you no matter what. I have never let my inner-child stray too far away.

Where is your inner-child? Bring her back out and feel the authentic self she portrays. Remember how she lived life. Remember how she expressed herself unapologetically. THAT’S a sure way to begin showing up as YOU.

❤️Julie

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3 Merry Ways to Have Fun During the Holidays #Review

Family

Pieces of Me

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December 30, 2019

206

Merry. This is the way we all try to feel during the holiday season. With the family being stuck inside due to weather on some days, keeping kids happy and making sure they have fun can be a bit of a challenge. Toys and games are great ways to make the time indoors fly by fast. My family was asked if some of these toys and games would help to make our holiday season merry in three different ways. We could not wait to try them out!

3 Merry Ways to Have Fun During the Holidays

Below are the toys we received to have merry fun during the holiday season:

Fart Ninjas
CAT Trucks
Games from Asmodee Canada

Sneak, toot, and be merry!

My kids are still at that stage where they enjoy certain toys that have a bit of crude humor to them. They also like toys that allow them to have some action-packed fun. Fart Ninjas from Funrise Toys provide both of worlds into one toy. Fart Ninjas are collectable action figures that sound off ten realistic motion-activated fart sounds for kids to giggle at during play.

3 Merry Ways to Have Fun During the Holidays — CAT trucks and set, fart Ninjas figures, and Asmodee games.

Each of the Fart Ninjas we received was cute and poised for stealthy tooting action. My kids had fun playing them against each other and trying out the motion-activated sound feature. It gave me a bit of a start when one of them went off as I passed by the bookcase it was hiding on.

The larger Fart Ninjas XL are five inches of fun! They are dressed in Fart Ninja armour and come with a ninja star that acts as a remote to allow kids to set off their merry surprise at will. Users are also able to record their own fart sounds to add to the fun at playtime.

My kids really enjoyed playing with these larger versions of Fart Ninjas. Another great feature we discovered was that they had weapons to help them let off their “musical” surprises or do battle with other ninja foes. We liked being able to make up our own sounds to keep everyone at home guessing as to when and where another fun attack was going to happen. Both sets of Fart Ninja toys brought a lot of adventure and fun to our home.

Constructing big fun

Building is another way my son likes to spend time away from the screen. He likes playing with big trucks and pretending he is on a constructing big fun. CAT was able to help him out with their Tough Rigs truck and Construction Fleet Sand set for hm to get some heavy duty work done around our home.

For “digging dirt”, the CAT Tough Rigs Excavator truck is a great toy to have on hand. It is big, tough, and durable. The arm and the scoop work well together to bend down and pick up things needed to be moved.

When it came to hauling the dirt. The CAT Construction Fleet Sand Set Dump Truck is the perfect partner for our home construction site. It comes with a dump truck, a shovel, and rake to make building playtime merry. To add to the fun, a construction hat completes this set to really set imaginations soaring.

My little guy really enjoys playing with the bed of the dump truck. He loves how big it is and the tipping motion to empty it out. The hat is a perfect finishing touch to this set. My son really felt as though he was a part of a construction crew.

Games = Merry fun

Games bring a different kind of merry fun playtime. For us, we like games that make us think and compete with each other for hours of family fun time. Asmodee Canada shared two games with us to add fun to the holiday season.

Colourful matching fun

Chomino is a colourful game to enjoy! Instead of using numbers, Chromino uses colours to get players to match two colours with those already in play without touching other tiles. “Chameleon” tiles give players a hand in the matching fun. When players run out of tiles in their hands, they can reach into the Chromino bag for additional tiles to play. When all of the tiles are out of the bag, the first player to place all of their tiles on the table is the winner. This game is recommended for 1-8 players ages 6+.

My daughter and I loved how easy it was to play this game. The chameleon tiles really came in handy when we were stuck for tiles to use. Putting this game away is simple. All you have to do is to place the tiles into bag. It is a great game to have for quick fun.

London calling!

London is a city I would love to visit soon. Ticket to Ride: London not only took us along the streets of this iconic city, we also went back in time to the 70’s. Players race each other to be the first to complete bus routes in the United Kingdom’s capital to win. This game is for 2-4 players ages 8+.

My girl is a fan of the original Ticket to Ride game, so she was really excited to hop aboard these double buses to ride around London. It is an interesting way to learn how Londoners get around the city and where all of the historical sites are across London. We both had a lot of fun travelling around London with this game.

Three merry ways for kids to enjoy the holiday season

These three different types of toys made my kids merry this holiday season. The Fart Ninjas brought a lot of giggles to playtime. The CAT trucks allowed for imaginative play to happen. Chromino and Ticket to Ride: London gave us quiet time to bond and play together. We are so happy to have these toys and games at this time of the year.

Curious about other toys your kids can find merry fun with this holiday season? You can visit Funrise Toys on their website, and connect with them on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages. You can also go to Asmodee’s website and sneaking a peek at their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @asmodeedigital, and YouTube channels for some great gifting ideas!

Disclaimer: I received products from Funrise Toys and Asmodee Canada in order to write this review. The views I shared are my own.

Fun Indoor and Outdoor Winter Games for Kids

Family

Lyne Proulx

-

December 27, 2019

12

Fun Indoor and Outdoor Winter Games for Kids

Winter is a time of cold and snow that can be a difficult time for many kids to get their proper amounts of exercise. Unlike warm summers and springs, kids can’t always play a wide variety of sports. They often get bored making the same old snowman or having endless snowball fights. Even worse, in the winter, the weather may get too extreme for kids to even go outside. However, there are a few winter games for kids that can be played inside during these extreme cold periods and many structured outdoor games that can test their athletic skills.

Indoor winter games for kids

These 2 indoor winter games for kids are so much fun. They will keep them busy for hours!

Ice fishing Game

Ice fishing is a winter activity that requires standing on top of frozen lakes in warm fish shanties. This outdoor activity has ice fishers cut holes in the ice and dangle their line inside to catch fish. For younger children, this type of activity may be dangerous or difficult for them due to the cold or the risks of breaking ice. Luckily, there are ways to let kids do ice fishing indoors and make it a fun winter game. All you need is a blue sheet, dowels, sticks, eye hole hangers, string and clothes pins.

The ice is made by screwing two eye hole hangers into the wall, tying the string tightly through the eye hole hangers and throwing the blue sheet over top. The kids can then tie a string to their dowel and tie a clothing pin to the other end of the string to create their fishing bowl. Parents stand on the other side of the sheet with a bucket that contains either small toy fish or other fun prizes. The parents attach the clothes pin to the prize and tug the string. The kid can then reels in his prize. This is great for birthday parties in the winter.

Unwrap the Gift, an indoor game, can get kids even more excited for Christmas

Winter is a time that many children get excited about due to Christmas and all the presents they will unwrap. Playing this winter game, can help kids get in the Christmas spirit even earlier. Several small gifts, such as candy or small toys are placed in small cardboard boxes and wrapped up in at least 10 or 12 layers of wrapping paper. This should be done before the children come to the party so that they can’t see the gifts.

The children then sit into a circle. One of the children is handed a present. She pulls off the wrapping paper and passes it to the kid on her right. He then removes a layer of wrapping paper and hands it to the next child. This continues until the last layer is taken off. The child who opens it gets to keep the present and sits out the rest of the game. Game play continues until each child has opened a present for themselves.

Outdoor winter games for kids

Playing any outdoor game requires wearing a proper amount of winter clothing, including boots, gloves, hats, thick winter jackets, and even snow pants. Play time should be limited depending on how cold it is outside.

Hidden Snow Flag tests kids’ physical endurance and cleverness

This hidden snow flag winter game is played outside. It has kids running, hiding and searching through stacks of snow looking for a white flag. A white flag is tied to the end of a brown stick and given to one of the children. The starting child should be picked randomly by drawing sticks or playing rock, paper, scissors. The rest of the kids stay in the house while the starting child goes outside. The child hides his flag somewhere in the back yard (with adult supervision). The flag can be hidden by snow hills but not completely buried.

After the first child is done, he comes in and the rest of the kids go out and try to find the flag. Their efforts are timed on a stop watch. When one of the children finds the flag, the stop watch is stopped and the time written down. Each child is timed on how long it takes the kids to find their flag. The kid whose flag took the longest to find is the winner.

Jumping snow hurdles, active winter fun for children

Jumping snow hurdles can keep kids physically active in the cold lazy months of winter. A series of small snowballs should be made and arranged into a race course. These snowballs should be no bigger than a soccer ball or basketball. The route should be circular, like a real track in order to emulate real hurdles.

The kids then take turns running through the track and jumping the hurdles to find the fastest and best hurdler of the group. Alternately, the route can be more complex, including twists and turns and can be used for a spirited game of follow the leader. Cooperative games are often more fun for very young children and this can be a great cooperative game for the winter.

There are many other types of fun winter games to play with children. There are winter crafts, such as cutting snowflakes or making cotton ball snowmen. Snowball throwing distance contests as well as snowball size rolling contests are all fun kids ideas that can be modified in any way.

What is your favourite indoor or outdoor activity to do with your kids during the winter? Comment below!

Celebrate New Year’s Eve With A Family Party

Family

Lyne Proulx

-

December 26, 2019

14

New Year’s Eve can be a treasured event when parents and children work together to create a family-friendly party complete with a meal, decorations and entertainment. New Year’s Eve is the time for a celebration of new beginnings. Parents and children can make this a special night to spend together. By keeping things simple, a memorable evening can be had by all.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve With A Family Party

A Family-Friendly Menu

One of the easiest ways to create a New Year’s Eve snacks that pleases everyone is to prepare a full menu of finger foods. Even the most particular member of the family can find something to enjoy with a variety of choices. In this way the meal can be elaborate or simple, depending on the preferences of each family.

Here are some ideas:

Fresh fruit: sliced apples, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes
Fresh vegetables: baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery sticks, sliced mushrooms
Relishes: black or green olives, baby sweet or dill pickles, baby pickled beets
Chips and pretzels
A variety of cheese chunks
Dips: bean, ranch dressing, yogurt, blue cheese dressing, hummus
Chicken nuggets: real chicken or soy variety

A meal of make-your-own mini pizzas also allows each person to eat according to individual taste. Don’t forget a New Year’s Eve spiked drink for the adults and non-alcoholic beverage for the kids to toast the New Year. Any 100% fruit juice and club soda makes for a festive drink to go with the meal.

Creative Party Decorations

New Year’s Eve can be an opportunity to dress up the home and get it ready for a party. Working together, parents and children can use a few simple materials and a little creativity to make a festive party atmosphere.

Party hats made from decorated cones of paper
Noisemakers made from empty plastic soda bottles or cans filled with dried beans or popcorn
Streamers made from strips of computer paper colored with markers or crayons
Confetti made by cutting up left over gift wrapping paper or candy wrappers

Activities and Entertainment on New Year’s Eve

Once the food and decorations are ready, it’s time to plan fun things to do. Save movie watching for a different night. Instead, plan an evening of games or a special project to do together.

Play a fast-paced game of charades
Pull out all the family’s favorite board games
Have a scavenger hunt
Ask each family member to draw a picture of a special event from the past year
Use large sheets of paper and markers to write down everyone’s hopes, plans, ideas, dreams, and resolutions for the new year to come
Play the traditional Japanese New Year’s game of Fuku Wari
Use a variety of brightly colored, washable paints to paint pictures of fireworks
Put on some great dance music and have a family dance

A New Year’s Eve Party to Remember

With a little bit of planning and some creative energy, families can put together an unforgettable evening to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. With a simple meal, beautiful decorations, and great entertainment, it will truly be a night to remember!

Attractions for Small Children at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Travel

Lyne Proulx

-

December 25, 2019

16

Attractions for Small Children at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

First things first: Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World closes earlier than other parks, usually at 8:00 pm. The likelihood of seeing more wild animals is higher during the cooler morning temperatures, especially from May to December. If park hopping is in the plan, make this park the first stop. Head straight to the back of the park for the safari ride, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Here are some fun attractions for small children at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Character Greetings at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom

For the little ones, who often enjoy meeting their favourite Disney characters, there is a lot of opportunity at Animal Kingdom. In a section of the park, Adventurers Outpost, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse meet their little fans (one line for each). The characters wear their safari gear, so purists who want the quintessential Mickey shot may want to visit them in the Magic Kingdom.

Several other characters from popular Disney movies are scattered throughout the park. Brer Bear has been spotted, as well as Baloo and King Louie from the Jungle Book, and Terk (the female gorilla from Tarzan). At the Conservation Station, a short train ride from the safari area, Pocahontas, Rafiki (from the Lion King), and Jimini Cricket can often be seen.

Since waiting in line for Disney characters can sometimes take an hour or more, scoring multiple hugs after only one line up is the Disney equivalent of a Las Vegas jackpot.

Photopass is also available at the character greetings. This service involves a professional Disney photographer who takes pictures for the group. He then hands out a card that can be used to access those photos online. The shots can be viewed, shared or purchased via the Disney Photopass website.

Rides for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Children 38 inches and taller can ride the Kali River Rapids. This attraction is a large inner tube that seats several guests and travels quickly down a whitewater river.

Dinoland has a TriceraTop Spin ride that is similar to the Flying Dumbo ride at Magic Kingdom. It is very popular with toddlers and preschoolers. Though it looks fun, the roller coaster in Dinoland has a height requirement too steep for most preschoolers.

Parents and older kids shouldn’t feel they have to miss out on some of the more intense attractions at Animal Kingdom, such as the thrilling roller coaster Expedition Everest. Groups can take advantage of what is called a Switch Rider. This is good for three riders and allow those who need to stay behind with smaller children to immediately access the attraction after the rest of their party disembarks. It’s distributed by a cast member at the ride entrance. The cast member may want to see the children involved to avoid switch rider abuse.

But rides and character aren’t all Animal Kingdom has to offer. There are additional attractions including shows, mystical trails, and animal viewings that are all geared for the littlest Disney vacationers.

Make the Holidays Bright at Glow Ottawa

Family

Pieces of Me

-

December 24, 2019

12

Bright lights. This is one of the Christmas traditions my children and I love to see around the holidays season. We get a sense of wonder and delight at how lights can make whatever they adorn magical. When we heard that Glow Ottawa was coming to Canada’s capital, I could not wait to take my littles to see how this fun event could make the holidays bright at Glow Ottawa!

Make the Holidays Bright at Glow Ottawa

Glow Ottawa is an indoor wonderland families will enjoy attending. From light gardens and illuminated structures, to play areas and a train to take kids on a ride, the glow of over a million twinkling lights will capture your imagination at this event! Glow Ottawa shines bright from December 5, 2019 to January 4, 2020 at the EY Centre.

Play under the bright holiday lights

From the moment we arrived at the EY Centre to take in all of the bright lights of Glow Ottawa, we were welcomed by an array of lights! Lights were on just about everything around the event area, from Christmas trees and walls to caribou and globes. It was hard to find many things that were not covered in lights.

My kids had a bouncy time on the miniature moose and unicorns in their pens. The lights made each of these areas more fun for them to play in.

The illuminated light structures were so much fun to take in with my kids. We were amazed by all of the large objects glowed bright with lights. My kids loved swinging on the LED swings.

My littles also were able to hop on LED colour changing hopscotch discs, capture memories in oversized illuminated ornaments, and wind their way through their interactive hanging lights. They did not know where they wanted to go next. There was so much fun to be had all around them!

Around the world in one day

Ever wondered what it would be like to have an around the world adventure? At Glow Ottawa, You can visit six countries in one outing!

Visitors can pick up a passport and travel to each of the countries’s section at the event. Twinkling lights and large illuminated structures shine bright to represent each part of the world represented at this event.

The kids and I really enjoyed his part of the Light Garden. One reason was due to the light structures being so impressive finding the hidden stamp stations to add to your passport. Once all six stamps were collected, visitors could go to the Prize Station and collect a holiday treat! This part of the event was fun to see.

Sipping some holiday cheer

Even some of the drinks at Glow Ottawa are bright! Their signature drink is a cranberry mocktail. The fun part about delighting in this drink is the cup. Each mocktail is served in an upside-down light bulb that lights up!

This was a thrill for us to have. We loved taking a breather from all of the excitement of the event for a festive drink. Seeing the different light settings on the cup was fun! We still have our fun cups and still remember our tasty mocktail memory.

Brushes with “celebrities”

Just when we thought our day at Glow Ottawa was full of fun, there was even more to be had! We were lucky enough to bump elbows with a few family favourite celebrities!

While taking in the Light Garden, we had the honour of meeting with one of my daughter’s favourite princesses, Belle. My girl had a fangirl moment when she met her. Belle was such an amazing princess to meet. She was nice and welcoming, making all who came to see her feel like you have been friends for a long time. It is a very bright moment my daughter will cherish.

A visit to Glow Ottawa isn’t complete without meeting the big man himself. Yes! Kids are able to speak to Santa! My kids were lucky enough to have a few moments with the Man in Red without having to wait in line! He was really nice to take time out of his busy schedule to take a photo with my kids away from his chair. They were so excited to have met him.

All aboard!

Who’s up for a train ride? Glow Ottawa is bringing the holiday fun full steam ahead with Glen the Glow-motive is a bright and festively lit train for kids to sit on and enjoy.

Once my kids became passengers on this cheery train, Glen whisked them away for a few rotations around the “track.” Both of my kids were smiling from ear to ear as they heard the train whistle sound out the beginning of their trip. My littles could have gone on Glen all day long!

Making holiday spirits and memories bright

Our visit to Glow Ottawa really helped to make our holiday spirits bright and memorable! There was no shortage of fun for a family to have on a visit. There are areas where you could spend your whole visit and come back another day to explore something new. From the play areas to the Light Garden, to meet-and greet opportunities, to Glen the Glow-tomotve, Glow Ottawa helped my family to make our holiday spirits and our memories of this time together merry and bright!

Would you like to see more of how Glow Ottawa can make the holidays bright? We planned our visit by checking out their website. We are also keeping up with all of the latest happening with Glow Ottawa by following them on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages!

Disclaimer: I received admission to Glow Ottawa in order to write this review. The views I shared are my own.

The Best Books to Share With Your Kids This Holiday Season

Family

Lyne Proulx

-

December 23, 2019

9

The Best Books to Share With Your Kids This Holiday Season

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s easy to forget that a single book or a book gift box can make a great gift! So while you will undoubtedly spend a fair bit of time in line at the toy store this year, be sure to also hit up your favourite book store, (either online or in-person), as encouraging your children to read now is a gift that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. Here’s a list of some of the best books you can share with your kids this holiday season (spoiler alert: not all of the suggestions are Christmas books!).

Board Books

This Little Explorer: A Pioneer Primer

Your child will eventually come to learn all about the world’s most famous explorers in school, but this brightly coloured board book, featuring 10 of the greatest explorers in history, is an excellent primer for what they will learn down the road. Filled with cute illustrations and age-appropriate facts, This Little Explorer is sure to inspire your tiny explorer to reach for the stars!

Penguin’s Christmas Wish

Your child’s bookshelf might already contain one or two of the books in Salina Yoon’s Penguin series. If it doesn’t, why not start with Penguin’s Christmas Wish, the story of a lovable penguin’s journey to spend the holidays with his loved ones? Unfortunately, not all goes as planned for the little guy, but with a little holiday magic, he just might learn a lesson or two about the importance of friends and family.

Ribbit!

As a new day dawns, a group of frogs realize that a pig has planted himself smack-dab in the middle of their peaceful swamp. Curious as to why he’s there and where he came from, the frogs can only manage to extract an enthusiastic “RIBBIT!” from the pig. As the mystery continues to grow and more curious creatures come to see what the fuss is about, the frogs realize that the pig is not there to bother them, but to make some new friends! Rodrigo Folgueria’s Ribbit! is a charming story about friendship and about celebrating the differences between us.

Hug Machine

A truly unique story about a young boy who is a self-proclaimed “hug machine,” this touching story, accompanied by truly goofy drawings, illustrates the many ways in which a good hug can change someone’s day for the better. It also encourages kids to be warm, caring, and affectionate to the people around them.

Never Touch a Monster

Of course, you should never touch a monster, unless you own this touch and feel book. Each page contains a goofy monster and a few silly rhymes, but that’s not all you can expect from this brightly coloured story book. Tactile materials added to the scaly or hairy monsters create an interactive experience that both parent and child will enjoy. Put it all together and Never Touch a Monster is clearly a must-have book for the little monster in your life.

Hello, World! Weather

As adults, we don’t give much thought to the changing seasons. To a child, however, this is a fascinating process! In Hello, World! Weather, your child will be guided through a year’s worth of changes in a backyard, and introduced to some basic scientific principles that govern weather and weather patterns. As a toddler, learning never stops and this book will help answer many of the questions they have about the world around them.

Picture Books

Bunny’s Book Club

Looking for a book that encourages your child to love reading? Bunny loves going to the library for outdoor story time, but when the weather turns cold and everyone moves indoors, his favourite pastime is cancelled. Determined not to miss out on the joy of reading just because of some bad weather, Bunny and his friends hatch a plan to sneak into the library at night so they can spend time with the books they love so much. Anyone who loves reading, no matter the age, will appreciate the lengths the cast of characters go to in order to enjoy a good book.

Mice Skating

Most field mice hunker down when the cold weather hits—but not Lucy! She loves the winter! She loves hearing the snow crunch beneath her feet and she loves wearing a ridiculously fluffy hat to ward off the chills. But what Lucy loves most of all, to the bewilderment of the other mice, is ice skating. As hard as she tries, she can’t quite seem to get the other mice to share in her enjoyment.In this book, you’ll find out if Lucy is up to the challenge of getting the other mice to enjoy skating as much as she does!? This story will surely inspire your children to get out of the house and enjoy those brisk winter days!

The Grizzly Bear Who Lost His Grrrrr!

Imagine being a duck who couldn’t quack, or a dog who lost his bark. In this book (penned by award-winning author Rob Biddulph), Fred, a grizzled grizzly bear, is widely known for having the loudest, scariest growl in the entire forest. One morning, Fred wakes up and his GRRRR! is simply gone. Will Fred get back the one thing he’s worked so hard to achieve? Is there more to life than simply being the bear with the loudest growl?

The Friend Ship

No one likes being lonely, hedgehogs least of all. When our Little Hedgehog overhears others speaking about a “friend ship” it appears her time being alone is at an end. Her imagination takes off and she imagines a giant ship filled to the brim with other animals she can be friends with. She desperately searches for the ship, meeting other lonely animals along the way, but as hard as they try to locate it, their search comes up empty. Eventually, Little Hedgehog and her companions come to realize that they’ve created their own friendship without knowing it! Sometimes, the thing you’re looking for is right in front of you.

The Little Reindeer

A story of an unlikely friendship between a girl and a lost, wandering reindeer, The Little Reindeer follows the duo as they set off on the journey of a lifetime and, in the process, experience a magical Christmas that neither one of them will ever forget.

Love, Z

What does love really mean? When a small robot named Z finds a message in a bottle, he and his friends become transfixed with the end of the letter: “Love, Beatrice.” Being robots, the concept of love is unknown to them, so they decide to embark on a journey to discover what “love” means. Though they travel far and wide, even meeting the sender of the letter, Beatrice, they realize that the love they sought was around them all along.

Any of these books, or others favoured by you and your loved ones, are great for sharing with your little ones this holiday season. Lillypost offers monthly book box subscriptions perfect for children of any age, which make for great gifts for others and facilitate bonding time between you and your loved ones.

New Year’s Eve Milk Shots Recipe

Recipes

Lyne Proulx

-

December 20, 2019

31

New Years Eve is right around the corner and I have an awesome recipe to share with you to help you ring in the new year in style, with a lot of delicious flavour too! This Milk Shots is going to be a favourite New Year’s Eve cocktail recipe. It has decadent heavy cream, cake icing, festive sprinkles and a good measure of spiced rum. These are so fun to make and serve, and they are perfect for the festivities as you ring in a new beginning!

New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipe

The New Year is always welcomed as it is a chance to start fresh, make new resolutions and stick to time tested traditions. All around the world people look forward to forging ahead, embracing the old and testing the new that the year will bring. Here in Canada, we will be toasting with these Vanilla Milk Shots! They have just the right amount of sweetness, spike, spice and sparkle thanks to the fun silver and gold sprinkles. The icing makes the sprinkles stick and adds just the right hint of sweetness!

This recipe serves 6 to 8 shots with milk and alcohol, making them perfect for a family New Year celebrations. A few batches will come together easily to create something special that your guests will love. Chances are, this New Year’s Eve shots recipe will become a new tradition that your family and friends all look forward to as they send the old year off in style.

New Year’s Eve non alcoholic drink recipe

You can omit the spiced rum and serve it as non-alcoholic drink to the kids!

More Ideas For The New Year

If you are looking for more ideas for the New Year you are in luck! Check out these resources for making the New Year the best yet. Reader favourites include How to Keep a New Year Resolution or How to Celebrate New Years Eve with a Family Party.

New Year’s Eve Vanilla Milk Shots recipe

New Year’s Eve Milk Shots Recipe

Makes 6-8 alcoholic Milk Shots

Ingredients

1 cup Milk
⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup Spiced rum
¼ cup Powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Silver and gold sprinkles
White cake icing
Shot glasses

How To Make New Year’s Eve Milk Shots

Place the milk, heavy whipping cream, spiced rum, powdered sugar and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl, and beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Place the mixture into the freezer while you prepare the shot glasses.

2. Dip the lip of each shot glass into the white cake icing, coating the rim well.

3. Roll the icing dipped shot glass rim into the silver or gold sprinkles.

4. Allow the icing to harden.

5. Pour the cold drink mixture into the shot glasses, and serve immediately.

New Year’s Milk Shots Recipe

Lyne Proulx

This New Year’s Eve Milk Shots Recipe is going to be a favourite holiday cocktail. They are the perfect New Year's Eve Cocktails!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings Shots

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

6 Shot glasses

Ingredients

1 cup Milk
⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup Spiced rum
¼ cup Powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
6 tbsp Silver and gold sprinkles
6 tbsp White cake icing

Instructions

Place the milk, heavy whipping cream, spiced rum, powdered sugar and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl, and beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Place the mixture into the freezer while you prepare the shot glasses.
Dip the lip of each shot glass into the white cake icing, coating the rim well.
Roll the icing dipped shot glass rim into the silver or gold sprinkles.
Allow the icing to harden.
Pour the cold drink mixture into the shot glasses, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 37mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 194IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cocktails, Milk shots, New year, New Year Eve’s

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

These New Year’s Eve Milk Shots are a fun and creamy way to celebrate the countdown. Their smooth texture and sweet flavour make them perfect for sharing with friends and family. Easy to prepare and sure to impress, they add a festive touch to any party.

Cheers to a joyful start to the new year!